Cases & Advocacy
Stephens v. Bloomsburg School District
NCLR and attorney Michael Shirk from the National Education Association/Texas State Teacher’s Association negotiated a settlement on behalf of Merry Stephens, an award-winning teacher and basketball coach in rural Texas. In 2004, the School Board initiated proceedings to terminate Coach Stephens, based on the personal anti-gay animosity of several school board members. In exchange for Coach Stephens’ agreement not to pursue further legal action, the district agreed to pay Coach Stephens a monetary settlement.
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Lessik v. East Bay Iceland, Inc.
John Manzon-Santos and Alan Lessik, award-winning amateur figure skaters and were training for the 2006 Gay Games, filed a lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court seeking redress for sexual orientation discrimination. Manzon-Santos and Lessik alleged that, while training for the pairs competition at Berkeley, California’s Iceland, they were harassed, discriminated against, and kicked out of their home rink for skating together.
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Transgender Rights
Resources & Publications
Federal Cases Recognizing that Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Non-Conformity and/or Transgender Status Is a Form of Discrimination on the Basis of Sex
Resources & Publications
Convenios de Vida: Documentos Para Protegerte a Ti y a Tu Familia
Cases & Advocacy
Scheidler v. NOW Amicus
The National Organization for Women (NOW) filed a lawsuit alleging that anti-abortion protesters had engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to shut down abortion clinics through “a pattern of racketeering activity.” NCLR joined an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court supporting NOW’s argument.
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Lewis v. Westminster Oaks Retirement Community
NCLR clients Sheila Ortiz-Taylor and Joy Lewis reached a confidential settlement with Presbyterian Retirement Communities, Inc., a national chain of retirement communities. Joy and Sheila filed a lawsuit alleging that Westminster Oaks, the Presbyterian retirement community, discriminated against them based on their sexual orientation.
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Koebke v. Bernardo Heights Country Club Amicus
Birgit Koebke and Kendall French, a lesbian couple who have been domestic partners for 12 years, sued the Bernardo Heights Country Club for refusing to provide them with the same membership benefits given to different-sex couples and for allowing other members to harass and insult them because of their sexual orientation.
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Transgender Equality : A Handbook for Activists and Policymakers
Cases & Advocacy
Jensen v. St. Augustine
NCLR, on behalf of Equality Florida and St. Augustine Pride Committee, won the right to fly rainbow flags over the historical Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, Florida, for the 2005 Pride celebration. The City denied the Pride Committee’s application to fly the flags for three years in a row, even though the Pride Committee met all of the City’s requirements.
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